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SBS Australia
12-06-2025
- General
- SBS Australia
'Not just for me': Why Tam preserved 30 years of radio programs across 2,000 cassette tapes
A listener has preserved more than 30 years of SBS Vietnamese programs on over 2,000 cassette tapes, safeguarding cultural history for future generations. SBS has helped Vietnamese migrants navigate life in Australia since their arrival after the end of the Vietnam War 50 years ago. As SBS celebrates its 50th anniversary, young Australians are still tuning in to stay connected to their heritage. For more than 30 years, Tam Hanh has recorded and preserved more than 2,000 cassette tapes of SBS radio programs. Hanh said it offered her connection and comfort after coming to Australia as a refugee. "I remember when I first arrived in Australia, I would sit beside my Singer sewing machine every day, waiting for SBS Vietnamese radio," she recalled. "I placed over 10 tape recorders around my house to record my favourite programs. I was busy, and sometimes I couldn't listen carefully, so I recorded them to replay later. Over time, it became a habit. "There were also important programs I wanted to keep, such as those about Vietnamese history, the Vietnam War, or scientific advancements. That's how I started recording to preserve them for the future." Tam Hanh classifying her cassette tapes. Credit: SBS Vietnamese Hanh regards these cassettes as significant cultural keepsakes and a way to preserve the contributions of the Vietnamese community in Australia for the next generations. This was not just for me, it also helped others who couldn't tune in live. When I first came to Australia, my English was limited, so I had to learn as much as possible. Tam Hanh "Now, I see the significance of preserving these programs to help future generations understand the contributions of Vietnamese people to the community." Broadcasting in Vietnamese SBS expanded its programming to include the Vietnamese language in 1977. To this day, it serves as an important resource for many, fostering a connection to language and culture. In the years following the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, an estimated two million people fled to countries including the United States, Canada, France, and Australia, significantly growing Australia's Vietnamese community. The Australian Vietnamese Women's Association (AVWA), a community organisation serving the Vietnamese community since 1983, is led by Nicky Chung, who left Vietnam by boat and arrived in Australia in 1979. "SBS was easy to hear, easy to understand. We watched the news every night as a family. My dad always emphasised how important it was to have a trusted source of information so we could integrate faster and build a successful life in Australia," Chung said. Nicky Chung, CEO of the Australian Vietnamese Women's Association. Credit: SBS Vietnamese SBS services continue to provide practical guidance on areas like healthcare, employment, education, and legal matters, helping migrants and refugees transition smoothly into Australian society. "Broadcasting in Vietnamese and other languages shows Australia's commitment to multiculturalism. We are all seeking a sense of belonging, and SBS reaffirms that we are part of the Australian fabric, despite our displaced history," Chung said. Connecting communities: The role of SBS for new arrivals Khanh Tho arrived in Australia in 1986 after spending 11 years attempting to flee Vietnam and being repeatedly stopped by authorities. "Our small wooden boat, just 23 metres long and a little over 10 metres wide, carried 230 people. We endured seven days and nights adrift without an engine, battered by towering waves and fierce winds, as water flooded our boat," Tho said. "We had seven encounters with pirates, we suffered robbery, beatings, and assaults. The terror was indescribable as we watched our loved ones being taken. "Yet, on the afternoon of 10 December, 1987, a sudden storm arose, miraculously carrying our boat to shore in Pattani Province, Thailand." Khanh Tho is a Vietnamese language teacher and former principal of the Truong Vinh Ky language school. Credit: SBS Vietnamese Tho said the SBS Vietnamese program had played a vital role in helping herself and her family navigate life in Australia. "When we left our homeland, we never imagined that one day we would be able to listen to Vietnamese-language radio broadcasts, especially from a station funded by the Australian government," she said. "Every evening, we became loyal listeners of SBS, where we could stay updated with news from around the world, our homeland, and the Vietnamese-Australian community. SBS has played a vital role in strengthening emotional bonds and fostering understanding between generations, especially in families like ours, where grandparents, parents, and children live together under one roof. Khanh Tho "The programs are rich and diverse, address important social issues that parents and grandparents often struggle with due to language barriers and cultural differences, for example, understanding and supporting children who identify as LGBTIQ+." Tho, who has worked as a Vietnamese language teacher since 1987, said the SBS Vietnamese program was a key linguistic and cultural resource for her students. "As a teacher and a mentor, I always strive to enrich teaching and learning materials for both teachers and students, and SBS has been an invaluable resource," she said. "The station features clear pronunciation from announcers representing all three main Vietnamese accents — north, central, and south — as well as some speakers with a slight Australian accent." Tho said that recording segments of broadcasts on history, current events, and famous landmarks to incorporate into lessons had been a great way to keep students connected with what was happening around them and in the world. "Short educational and cultural videos, often shared by students themselves in Vietnamese, help them take pride in their heritage and identity," she added. Tho said SBS Vietnamese continued to be a pillar for the community, preserving language, culture, and the voices of those who had come before.
Grazia USA
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Grazia USA
THE ASCENDING DRAGON
THE ASCENDING DRAGON CREATIVE DIRECTION: DANÉ STOJANOVIC PHOTOGRAPHY: AVANI RAI FASHION STYLIST: LAURA JANE BROWN HAIR: JEAN-LUC GRASSER MAKEUP: SAM SAM PRODUCER: QUANG NG RAY MODEL: HUỲNH TÚ ANH Winding through Northern Vietnam's verdant landscapes and time-worn alleyways, a story takes shape that reflects the beauty and quiet power of tradition. Here, silhouettes, scents and memories unfold, echoing the past and weaving the future. It is a portrait of becoming, transitioning between the wisdom of heritage and the promise of what is to come 'THE ASCENDING DRAGON' IS PUBLISHED IN THE 22ND EDITION OF GRAZIA INTERNATIONAL. ORDER YOUR COPY HERE.
Japan Times
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
'It's in our blood': How Vietnam adopted the Latin alphabet
At a calligraphy class in Hanoi, Hoang Thi Thanh Huyen slides her brush across the page to form the letters and tonal marks of Vietnam's unique modern script, in part a legacy of French colonial rule. The history of romanized Vietnamese, or "Quoc Ngu," links the arrival of the first Christian missionaries, colonization by the French and the rise to power of the Communist Party. It is now reflected in the country's "bamboo diplomacy" approach of seeking strength through flexibility, or looking to stay on good terms with the world's major powers. A month after Chinese President Xi Jinping visited, French President Emmanuel Macron will arrive on Sunday. Huyen, 35, takes weekly calligraphy classes alongside six others at her teacher's tiny home as "a way to relax after work." "When I do calligraphy, I feel like I'm talking to my inner self," she said, her head bent in concentration. Missionaries, civil servants On Monday, Macron is due to visit Hanoi's star attraction, the Temple of Literature, whose walls and explanatory panels are decorated with calligraphy in both traditional Chinese-influenced characters and Quoc Ngu. Colonization led to the widespread use of Quoc Ngu — which uses accents and signs to reflect the consonants, vowels, and tones of Vietnamese — but it was created two centuries earlier on the initiative of Catholic priests. Calligrapher Nguyen Thanh Tung (left) teaches a student at his home in Hanoi. | AFP-JIJI When the Avignon-born Jesuit Alexandre de Rhodes published the first Portuguese-Vietnamese-Latin dictionary under his own name in 1651, it was primarily intended for missionaries wishing to spread their religion in what was then called "Dai Viet." The French then spread the Latin alphabet while training the civil servants who helped them govern Indochina, explained Khanh-Minh Bui, a doctoral student at the University of California, Berkeley, specializing in 19th- and 20th-century Vietnamese history. Another motive was "severing connections with an older civilization, which has greatly influenced the elites," in this case China, she said. Artistic freedom Compared to the characters that had been in use for centuries, Quoc Ngu was far easier to learn. Its adoption fueled an explosion in newspapers and publishing, which helped spread anti-colonial ideas that ultimately led to the rise of the Communist Party. "Quoc Ngu carried the promise of a new education, a new way of thinking," said Minh. When Ho Chi Minh proclaimed independence in 1945, it was "unthinkable" to turn back the clock, she added. Today, a Western tourist lost in the alleys of Hanoi can read the street names, but would have a hard time pronouncing them correctly without understanding the diacritics used to transcribe the six tones of Vietnamese. Calligraphy teacher Nguyen Thanh Tung, who has several young students in his class, says he has noticed rising interest in traditional Vietnamese culture. "I believe that it's in our blood, a gene that flows in every Vietnamese person, to love their traditional culture," he said. Calligraphy in Quoc Ngu offers more artistic freedom "in terms of colour, shape, idea" than that using characters, he believes. "Culture is not the property of one country, it's an exchange between regions," added Tung, 38. "English and French borrow words from other languages, and it's the same for Vietnamese."
Malay Mail
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
‘It's in our blood': How Vietnam adopted the Latin alphabet
HANOI, May 26 — At a calligraphy class in Hanoi, Hoang Thi Thanh Huyen slides her brush across the page to form the letters and tonal marks of Vietnam's unique modern script, in part a legacy of French colonial rule. The history of Romanised Vietnamese, or 'Quoc Ngu', links the arrival of the first Christian missionaries, colonisation by the French and the rise to power of the Communist Party. It is now reflected in the country's 'bamboo diplomacy' approach of seeking strength through flexibility, or looking to stay on good terms with the world's major powers. A month after China's Xi Jinping visited, French President Emmanuel Macron arrived yesterday. Huyen, 35, takes weekly calligraphy classes alongside six others at her teacher's tiny home as 'a way to relax after work'. 'When I do calligraphy, I feel like I'm talking to my inner self,' she told AFP, her head bent in concentration. Calligrapher Nguyen Thanh Tung (centres) teaches students at his home in Hanoi May 15, 2025. — AFP pic Missionaries, civil servants Today, Macron is due to visit Hanoi's star attraction, the Temple of Literature, whose walls and explanatory panels are decorated with calligraphy in both traditional Chinese-influenced characters and Quoc Ngu. Colonisation led to the widespread use of Quoc Ngu — which uses accents and signs to reflect the consonants, vowels, and tones of Vietnamese — but it was created two centuries earlier on the initiative of Catholic priests. When the Avignon-born Jesuit Alexandre de Rhodes published the first Portuguese-Vietnamese-Latin dictionary under his own name in 1651, it was primarily intended for missionaries wishing to spread their religion in what was then called 'Dai Viet'. The French then spread the Latin alphabet while training the civil servants who helped them govern Indochina, explained Khanh-Minh Bui, a doctoral student at the University of California, Berkeley, specialising in 19th- and 20th-century Vietnamese history. Another motive was 'severing connections with an older civilisation, which has greatly influenced the elites', in this case China, she said. Hoang Thi Thanh Huyen learns calligraphy at the home of calligrapher Nguyen Thanh Tung in Hanoi May 15, 2025. — AFP pic Artistic freedom Compared to the characters that had been in use for centuries, Quoc Ngu was far easier to learn. Its adoption fuelled an explosion in newspapers and publishing which helped spread anti-colonial ideas that ultimately led to the rise of the Communist Party. 'Quoc Ngu carried the promise of a new education, a new way of thinking,' said Minh. When Ho Chi Minh proclaimed independence in 1945, it was 'unthinkable' to turn back the clock, she added. Today, a Western tourist lost in the alleys of Hanoi can read the street names, but would have a hard time pronouncing them correctly without understanding the diacritics used to transcribe the six tones of Vietnamese. At a calligraphy class in Hanoi, Hoang Thi Thanh Huyen slides her brush across the page to form the letters and tonal marks of Vietnam's unique modern script, in part a legacy of French colonial rule. — AFP pic Calligraphy teacher Nguyen Thanh Tung, who has several young students in his class, says he has noticed rising interest in traditional Vietnamese culture. 'I believe that it's in our blood, a gene that flows in every Vietnamese person, to love their traditional culture,' he said. Calligraphy in Quoc Ngu offers more artistic freedom 'in terms of colour, shape, idea' than that using characters, he believes. 'Culture is not the property of one country, it's an exchange between regions,' added Tung, 38. 'English and French borrow words from other languages, and it's the same for Vietnamese.' — AFP
CBS News
09-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Vietnam 50 Years Later: The Minnesota Vietnamese Language School
A big wave of Vietnamese people immigrated to Minnesota following the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. Nowadays, community members are diligently striving to ensure that their language and culture remain vibrant and enduring for generations to come. And for more than a decade, Roseville's Minnesota Vietnamese Language School is how they've been cultivating community in the Twin Cities metro. Now retired, Loc Van founded the school in 2013 with just about 90 students. Twelve years later, the number has grown to more than 270, with students traveling from across the state and beyond to learn each weekend. A group of volunteers have stepped up to help keep the school going, and growing. "We mostly look like the family," said the school's Canh Truong. "Everybody share the work." Sharing in the work, and sharing in the cost. Beyond a few grants to help with funding for events, and the $150 yearly tuition students pay — which goes to leasing the building and buying the books — the school is primarily funded by private donations. Everyone at the school is a volunteer, including the principal and teachers. No one takes a paycheck. "So we can carry the culture from generation to generation," Van said. This story is part of the WCCO documentary "Vietnam 50 Years Later: Reflection on a War that Changed Minnesota," by reporter Pauleen Le and photojournalist Art Phillips. Watch the full documentary below, or on our YouTube channel.
